Growing Kindness

 

#WednesdayThoughts

The events of the past week, where there were several spiteful attempts to have me blocked from our local Facebook community group, got me thinking. It proves that there are cruel and hateful people in the world. As we near the end of a tough year, my thoughts wander to New Year's resolutions. I hardly ever make a list of things I want to change when the clock strikes midnight on the 31st of December, but a few years ago I decided to change one thing. I chose to be kind. 

The dictionary defines kindness as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Friendly is acting kind and pleasant. Generosity means showing a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected, and consideration is the act of being careful not to inconvenience or harm others.

It is a tall order to fill, especially during the past year while I was fighting a battle with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that affects less than 5% of breast cancer patients worldwide.

One of the things someone criticised me for last night, was that I called the malicious person out and dared him or her to call me and say to my face why he or she feels the need to act ill-intended against me. Yet again I refer to the dictionary that defines dare as follows: "It means to challenge someone to do something you believe they would not do because they are afraid or would be embarrassed; or perhaps because they see the task as beneath them morally, religiously, maturity, etc."

Another thing someone called me out for was referring to cowards. The dictionary defines a coward as a person who is contemptibly lacking in the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things, meaning, someone who is afraid to do something. Can you start seeing the links?

Sadly, the world of digital communication makes it easier for people to be unkind because they can hide behind their computer or smartphone screens. Some people seem to find pleasure in being nasty and disagreeable. I am not saying you are not allowed to have an opinion, but someone once said that "the problem starts when we feel our opinion is worth more than what anyone else can say."

Let's not wait until the 31st of December to strive towards kindness. The best time to start being kind is NOW.

Love and light,

eM x